Speedy, offensive playmakers? Check.
Potential replacements at guard and center? Check.
Depth for an elite defense returning all its starters? Check.
The 49ers roster now appears set for another playoff run, having solidified it with seven draft picks the past three days to complement an earlier haul of free agents.
“Yeah, we obviously feel we’re ready to go,” general manager Trent Baalke said Saturday. “You’re always looking to tweak. We might not be done.”
Whatever nondrafted players are recruited, they’ll be hard-pressed to make what’s rapidly becoming a Super Bowl-contending roster.
After adding wide receiver A.J. Jenkins in Thursday’s first round and running back LaMichael James in Friday’s second round, the 49ers rounded out their seven-man draft class with Saturday’s final four rounds.
The newest 49ers: Wake Forest guard Joe Looney (fourth round), Notre Dame outside linebacker Darius Fleming (fifth), Michigan State safety Trenton Robinson (sixth), Western Oregon offensive lineman Jason Slowey (sixth) and Virginia outside linebacker Cam Johnson (seventh).
“We’re not about fueling the hype here at the Niners,” coach Jim Harbaugh said. “But today’s an exception.”
Saturday opened with multiple 49ers trades and, in the process, they picked up two draft picks for 2013, in the third and sixth rounds. They now have 11 picks for 2013: their original seven, plus the Indianapolis Colts’ fifth-rounder (acquired Friday) and Cincinnati Bengals’ seventh-rounder obtained last year for safety Taylor Mays.
Jenkins and James will be counted on to supercharge an offense that ranked 26th in yards gained (310.9 per game) and settled for a league-record 44 field-goal conversions.
Said Baalke: “Our defense plays at a high level and fast. We needed to added pieces on offense to do the same thing from an offensive perspective.”
In free agency, the 49ers have brought in high-profile veterans: wide receivers Randy Moss and Mario Manningham and running back Brandon Jacobs. Moss, Manningham and Jenkins will compete with incumbent Michael Crabtree for the starting slots at wide receiver.
Looney could contend with incumbents Daniel Kilgore and Alex Boone for the vacant starting spot at right guard. Harbaugh said Looney won him over during their one-on-one interview at the scouting combine with his “umph” and “pizazz.”
An eventual option at guard and backup center is Slowey, a former offensive tackle and shot-put champion for Division II Western Oregon.
Like a bouncer outside a trendy nightclub, the 49ers took their time before inviting prospects into their staunch defense.
Fleming and Johnson will compete at outside linebacker, a position where the 49ers successfully gambled last season by keeping only a trio: Ahmad Brooks, Aldon Smith and Parys Haralson.
“We rolled the dice last year with only three outside linebackers, and it worked,” Harbaugh said.
At safety, Robinson’s cover skills will help his bid for a backup role, even though C.J. Spillman is likely the top understudy to starters Donte Whitner and Dashon Goldson. Robinson was a three-year starter for the Spartans and a team-elected captain last season.
Overall, the 49ers drafted a wide receiver for the 10th straight year, a result of Jenkins’ selection. And after the draft, the 49ers apparently agreed to a deal with undrafted Stanford wide receiver Chris Owusu, whose history of concussions might have scared off other suitors.
Stanford defensive lineman Matt Masifilo was the first undrafted player to officially sign with the 49ers. Others expected to follow suit: Stanford safety Michael Taylor, Cal kicker Giorgio Tavecchio, Purdue outside linebacker Joe Holland, Michigan State tight end Garrett Celek, Northern Illinois wide receiver Nathan Palmer, Wisconsin defensive tackle Patrick Butrym, Northwestern guard Al Netter, Southern Illinois running back Jewel Hampton, UNLV defensive back Deante’ Purvis, Harvard left tackle Kevin Murphy, Florida A&M receiver Bryan Tymes and San Jose State running back Dajuan Cofield.
